Prison
by BiddyAuthor
Summary: I'm living in a place that feels like a prison. -Sakura NaruSaku SasuSaku.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm just on a roll with Naruto fanfics! Ifeel like this one is kind of bland. Oh well.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Sakura Haruno was not happy.

It seemed whenever she did something that was praiseworthy, more work was piled onto her. Her hospital shifts were ridiculous, ranging from twelve hours to thirty six! To be clear, Sakura loved being a medic nin and loved her job. She was passionate about working in the medic field. But it seemed like no one appreciated her. Like she was stuck in a neverending loop of work, sleep, eat, and train. That was the way of a ninja-yes- but it seemed to be more bland to Sakura than to anyone else.

She was a special kunochi. She expelled in chakra control and strength, but she also had flaws, the same as everyone else. Only, it seemed her flaws were the only one's anyone paid attention too. No one acknowledged Ino's lack of stamina, or Naruto's rashness. They all accepted it and worked around it. But with Sakura, they brushed her skills off.

"Sakura stay in the middle and guard the traveler." She knew no one would leave an opening for the attackers to come.

"Forehead! You're going to get hurt!" Ino thought Sakura couldn't seduce her target.

"Sakura-chan! Show em' whose boss! I'll protect you if anything happens!" Naruto would always believe Sakura needed help.

Sakura hated being underestimated. She wondered why she even lets it happen. She was more than capable of protecting herself, and clever enough to get out of a situation. So why did everyone believe she still needed help? Did anyone ask Naruto if he needed help? No. Did anyone ask Shikamaru for help? No. Did anyone aske Neji, Ino, or Lee for help? NO.

Everyone else besides Sakura had no help unless it was needed. Sakura's protection was unneeded and was becoming unappreciated. Sakura never got to fight anymore. The hospital had work piled to the max, and Tsunade had never fetched her for missions anymore.

It felt almost as if she was… unwanted and unneeded.

Like a burden placed on everyone's shoulders.

She felt as if she were trapped in a museum. The exhibits in museums never move, and never change. She still felt like the pathetic teenage girl she once was. Back then she needed the protection, she wasn't strong enough to defend alone. But now, even as she was able to, nothing changed.

Nothing!

She felt insignificant. She felt like she didn't prove anything to anyone. That she was under acknowledged.

Maybe her ranting just made her seem needy, but it was truly what had happened. She had tried so hard over the years to be someone Konoha could be proud of, but now that she was worthy of that praise, no one cared enough to give it! It may sound shallow, but it is courtesy to compliment someone on a job well done! Was that so hard!

She walked into her small apartment complex, becoming red faced with anger as she saw all of her friends inside.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAYSAKURA-CHAN! SURPRISE!" Sakura couldn't even feel excited.

Her dull eyes looked at everyone here and a fake-oh so fake- smile stretched on her face. "Thank you so much guys!" She faked excitement, really only wanting them to leave so she could be alone.

The party started, and Sakura tried her hardest to act normal. She yelled at Naruto, argued with Ino, and laughed with everyone else. By then time it ended and everyone went home, she was exhausted. As she looked around the empty room filled with trash, she sighed.

Everyone left a mess would have to clean up. She didn't even want a party for her birthday. It was a shock they even remembered it.

She got on her knees and started to gather the trash into one big pile. As she did this, she looked outside at the night sky. The moon was full and casted over the sky. Stars cluttered every inch of the black night, stretching miles beyond site.

Sakura felt just like the moon. The moon was large, and had so much potential. But the stars constrict it from going anywhere else than where it's supposed to.

She felt trapped.

She felt like she was in a prison in her own house.

She would never be able to expand and grow, and most importantly be acknowledged for it if she stayed in Konoha.

She decided one very special thing.

She would leave to get out of her own prison.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura was confused. Extremely confused.

She felt trapped. Like she was bound to Konoha for life. That's what she was, isn't it? That's how every ninja is. Bound to serve their own village.

But Sakura hasn't served Konoha in a while.

She couldn't decide. Should she really leave? Was it worth it? Where would she even go?

Sun was out of the question. Although Gaara would enjoy having her as a guest, she would be ordered back. There was no where she could go, unless she blindly traveled and became a missing nin. But the thought pulled at her heart.

Did she want to betray everyone?  
Did she want to become a missing nin?

What would she even do once she was one?

She wouldn't be able to come back. That much was clear. But could she abandon all her friends, no matter how much they didn't understand?

Naruto was Sakura's sore spot. How could she leave Naruto, her teammate since the beginning and the boy who was always by her side? She didn't think she would be able to leave him behind.

But that's what Sasuke did all those years ago. He left behind his team. The one's that were closest to him. The ones who were like _family_ to him. He may have had second thoughts, but in the end he left, didn't he? He left them. He didn't care what he left behind, he just up and left.

But that was Sasuke. Bitter, cold, and arrogant Sasuke. She was emotion driven, kind Sakura. Could Sakura do the same that Sasuke had done, knowing the chaos he caused because of his departure?

That was the question she couldn't answer.

But now she definitely could understand why Sasuke left. Sasuke wanted power. He didn't think Konoha would be able to supply him with enough of it, so he left. He went to the ultimate power source he knew of, Orochimaru. And then once he could be as powerful as Orochimaru's teaching could make him, he killed the snake sanin and we further towards his goal.

Sakura's situation was not nearly as serious as Sasuke's was. But it was similar enough in her mind. Sakura had always been seen as weak. From the time she was a small genin on Team Seven to when she became a jounin and the best medic nin in the world. Konoha never acknowledged her for her achievements. Sakura was at her limit of what she could learn from the village. Sasuke learned as much as he could from Orochimaru before he left. But that was his own choice and the only way out. Sakura didn't have to leave.

But she decided, right then and there, that she would leave.

She didn't want to be indecisive anymore. She just wanted to be free, and do as she pleased. The only thing that she needed to know was that once she left, where would she live? What would she do?

All these thoughts were so important Sakura started to panic. She had to have some form of structure to be able to pull it off. If she was to leave her apartment, friends, and job, she had to find something to support herself. She would not stoop low enough to be employed by some shady dealer. That particular job was not an option.

But then, Sakura thought of something. Thinking about Sasuke opened a flood gate in her mind. Sasuke did it, so why couldn't she? Sasuke was able to leave and support himself, so why couldn't she? Sasuke killed Orochimaru and was still alive to this day, so why couldn't Sakura leave and live herself?

It seemed everything Sasuke did, he was able to do without second thoughts or mistakes. Sakura thought it was so obvious, that is was a wonder how she didn't think of it before.

The latest news was that when Sasuke escaped Sound he brought three of Orochimaru's students with him and formed his own team, Team Hebi. She also heard they were feared and not to be messed with. Sakura smirked at plan being formed in her head. She knew where Team Hebi was last spotted. She knew Sasuke, the leader of the team. She wanted to leave to be acknowledged and become strong. She _was __much _ stronger than when she was a genin. Sasuke wouldn't shun her.

She laughed at the irony. She was going somewhere she had stopped thinking about after that fateful night where she was left on a bench.

She would seek out Sasuke and join his team.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura was nervous. Leaving the village with her backpack firmly in place and her quiet steps grinding against the dirt was the hardest thing she's ever had to experience. She left through the gates, silently praying the guards would not ask her anything. It was normal for her to be frequently in and out.

She only hoped this time would have the same outcome. Only she would not be coming back. Not for a long time.

She knew that Naruto would come after her eventually.

The guards greeted her, and see gave a very-_very_- fake smile. They guards didn't even notice the difference in the kunoichi's face.

She left the perimeter of Konohagakure without anyone batting an eyelash. Being in such a superior position had its perks.

The rosette ninja sped through the forests, the trees shrouding her. She knew what she had to do. She would find Team Hebi, and demand she join them. She knew Sasuke would not allow her. She would most likely think it was a plot to bring him back to the village hidden in the leaves. But she would prove to him it was more than that. She would chose to fight anyone on his team.

She silently hoped it was that redheaded bitch, Karin. As much as she tried not to judge, Sakura believed Karin was a love sick fool who put too much confidence in what little skill she possessed. In a way, Karin reminded Sakura of how she was when she was that stupid, weak twelve year old. When she wasn't able to do anything during missions. When she was a _burden. _

When she was useless.

She couldn't help but reminisce about Team Seven. On how together they were a family. Each of the members were brought together and depended on each other. More than any other team. Kakashi had been alive longer than any of the young genin, and he ultimately was the father figure. Kakashi last those most precious to him: his parents, his teammates, and his sensei. Sasuke has scarred for life because of Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre. Naruto was shunned because of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of him. And Sakura, her background was kept quiet. Naruto, the person closest to her, didn't even know. Her parents were helpless civilians. They were disappointed in Sakura; they wanted their "precious, fragile" daughter to become a house wife. They wanted her to be safe. And because she continued in the Academy and continuously went on missions, her parents stopped talking to her. Eventually she moved out, not bother to acknowledge them. It hurt Sakura to think about how her parents must think of her. Of how they probably say they don't have a daughter. Sakura's family, although never as serious as her teammates' history, was heartbreaking. She didn't have her family die. But in her mind, sometimes her situation was far worse than Naruto, Kakashi, or Sasuke's. Because whenever Sakura sees her mother or father, they pass each other without a glance. As if they were complete strangers.

Ignorance sometimes hurts worse than death.

She didn't eve n think about what her parents would think when they heard she fled from the village. Probably think she was a coward, and think about how they were right to tell Sakura she should stay home as a civilian's wife. But Sakura didn't give a shit about what her parents thought. The person who's thoughts were the most important were her team's. Would Kakashi be disappointed in her for leaving? Would he even come after her? Her, the weak genin who was never taught by him because he deemed her as unable to try? What about Nartuo? Sakura smiled at the thought of her teammate. He would most definitely come for her. He fought so hard for Sasuke to come back, so why wouldn't he fight just as hard for Sakura? That questioned startled the rosette. She slowed her speed and set up camp near Amegakure. She knew that was where Team Hebi would be.

The question still baffled her mind as she lied on the ground, staring at the stars. Wouldn't Naruto try just as hard to bring Sakura home as he had with Sasuke? Didn't Naruto care deeply for Sakura?

Indeed, Naruto did care deeply for Sakura. His childhood crush grew strong as the days went on, and most would say it had evolved into real love. The kind that lasts forever. But Sakura knew that. She knew his feelings would most likely stay in place. Those feelings that she didn't deserve. Sakura also knew that it would be completely different than the rescue mission for Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke shared a bond that Sakura would never understand. She would never be a part of that bond. She believed her bond with Sasuke was so weak, so undeveloped, that Sasuke had most likely erased any friendly feeling he had towards her. He was able to tolerate her because they had been teammates, and he had no choice but to be around her.

It strained her heart to hear the truth. She had longed figured her feeling for Sasuke were not valid, and that she should move on. She had distracted herself with training to avoid the terrible question of whether she still loved the Uchiha. Even now, she was indecisive. But whenever Ino Yamanaka would as her, Sakura would always mutter a "no" to avoid the blonde kunoichi's rants.

She smiled up to the night sky as she thought about how ridiculous she really was. It should have been obvious. Of course she shouldn't love Sasuke, she shouldn't have from the start. He was never interested in her, so shouldn't her feeling have faded with time? After her heart shattered that night were she was left on the cold, hard bench shouldn't she have healed without weariness of the traitor? Shouldn't she have finally accepted Naruto's begging gestures for a date?

All these thoughts whirled around in her head. She was so deep into thought she almost didn't feel the very faint chakra signature coming straight at her. But she did notice when it was right at the base of the clearing.

Sakura hoped up from the floor and stood in her fighting stance, ready to fight if needed. She was now alert and conscious of her surroundings, looking for any disturbances. She realized as she listened the animals were not anywhere around. That only caused her alertness to fly through the roof.

She felt him before she could move. A warm breath at the back of her neck. This scene felt so familiar, so achingly so, it almost made her cry. She stood firm though, and didn't' move. Instead of the surprised look he was most likely expecting to see, her face was emotionless.

"Sasuke." Sakura breathed, carefully not to move. She didn't want any trouble. What she had been seeking out in the end had come and found her themselves.

"Sa-ku-ra." Sasuke's breath tickled her neck, and the pink haired ninja had the strong urge to shiver. But she was a trained kunoichi who was able to deal with her emotions. She could not show weakness, especially in the presence of her old teammate.

"What are you doing out here alone, Sa-ku-ra?" Sakura had the insanely strong urge to punch the Uchiha brat in the face for teasing her, but she didn't. She simply remained emotionless.

She didn't speak as she felt Sasuke leave her back and she turned around, expecting to face him. Only she was met with an empty space. She was tired. They had interrupted her when she was about to go to sleep and now they wouldn't even show their faces? What cowards.

"I'm not here to bring you back to Konoha, Sasuke. I came here to talk. And to give you a proposition." Sakura declared as her eyes scanned the dark shadows of the forest.

She felt a sudden change in the air and side stepped a sword aimed for her head. Suigestsu Hozuki had decided to come out and play. Sakura stood back, observing the swordsman. She knew all about Team Hebi and was determined to get on their side. She wanted to be a part of them. She wanted to prove something to everyone. If she could be a part of a group the famous _Sasuke Uchiha_ had picked from, she was worthy of praise.

"Suigestu Hozuki. I'm wondering where your leader went. We're old teammates, you know? I only want to talk. I'm not going to pull some shady move to make you let your guard down. I'm not foolish to believe that."

Suigetsu didn't move but stayed standing, facing Sakura. The white haired ninja was confused. This pink haired girl was a ninja? And a former teammate of Sasuke's? And what was this about not wanting to fight? Then why was she here, near Ame?

"I suggest Karin, Sasuke, and Juugo come out also. It's not party with only two, ne?" Sakura said, smirking. She saw how Suigetsu was so confused and suspicious about her actions. "I mean, it's only fair Sasuke. Don't you really want to know the real reason I'm near Ame? I know you can read through the lines. I'm not here on a mission, and I'm not seeking you out to bring you back. What could I possibly be doing here?"

Sakura's smirk grew even wider as the other three members of Team Hebi appeared next to Suigetsu. She saw how Sasuke's eyes were firmly placed on her, his sharingan activated. She also saw how pathetic Karin seemed, glaring at her for no reason. Juugo stood next to Suigetsu, observing her the same as the white haried ninja.

"It's been a while hasn't it, Sasuke?" Sakura mocked. It in fact had been a while since they had encountered each other face to face. The kuknoichi also tried not to laugh as she saw Sasuke's eyes widen a fraction from the lack of –kun in his name. He lost that privilege long ago.

"Why are you here Sakura? Go back to Konohagakure." Sasuke's voice was gruff.

A smile touched Sakura's lips as she stared at Sasuke's spiky hair. She didn't want to be caught in a genjutsu. But she admired how his hair was still the same as when they were kids.

"It was your home once too. And now it was my home. I've left, and have come to find you give you a proposition."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he observed his old teammate. She had to be kidding. This was Sakura, the one so loyal to the Leaf that she would gladly die for that stupid village. This had to be a trick. And how could useless Sakura ever even think she was strong enough to face him alone? Was her childhood love still so strong she would risk dying by his hand?

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Typical Sasuke. "I'm here to offer you my services. I will join you on your quest to kill Itachi Uchiha. In return I wish to be acknowledged for my strength and power a way that had not been done in Konoha."

Sasuke was surprised by this. She thought she was strong enough to even be acknowledged? She thought she was strong enough to help him defeat _Itachi Uchiha_! Sasuke realized his former comrade may have lost her mind. She was naïve and clueless and he would not accept her.

Sakura knew this. As she remembered her imagination of this reunion, Sasuke would not believe her strength and skill. He would not realize she too had come a long way in the last few years. And so, she offered to show him. "Since I know you do not believe a word that I've said pertaining to my strength and power. I'll fight any member of Team Hebi." I'll show you whose strong now Sasuke, Sakura thought.

She watched as Sasuke gave her an evil smirk, one she had seen far too many times. That look was usually reserved for when Sasuke knew he was aiming to kill, and Sakura knew that Sasuke expected her to die from this confrontation.

"Karin." Sasuke commanded.

Karin, who had be very close to the Uchiha's side. Stepped forward and got into a stance, determination visible on her face. Sakura knew that look. Karin wanted to show off to Sasuke.

Sakura freely smirked as she pulled on her fingerless gloves.

Sorry Karin, but it's my turn to show him what I'm capable off. Sakura thought to herself.

Sakura ran towards the red head, chakra building up in her fists.


End file.
